University Press Releases

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to speak at Santa Clara University

Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014

Santa Clara, Calif., Jan. 16, 2014-- His Holiness the Dalai Lama will visit Santa Clara University Feb. 24 for a day of discussion entitled “Compassion, Business, and Ethics: A Dialogue with the Dalai Lama.” The event is co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

"As the Jesuit University of Silicon Valley, the faith-inspired values of ethics and justice fuel what we do everyday. The Dalai Lama's commitment to compassion and humanity are a perfect fit on our campus, " says SCU President Michael Engh, S.J. “We are eager to welcome him.”

The Tibetan spiritual leader will explore the world of commerce, ethics, and compassion in a conversation also featuring Lloyd Dean, the CEO of San Francisco-based Dignity Health. Dean leads one of the country’s largest health care systems and is a reformer in the field.

“We expect a productive, enlightening, and inspirational examination of these issues,” says Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of SCU’s ethics center. “It will be an opportunity to advance our understanding whether there is room for ethics and compassion in business.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, has visited the United States regularly over the last 30 years, but this will be his first stop at Santa Clara University. The 78-year-old peace advocate focuses on three major commitments: promoting ethics and basic human values, the fostering of interreligious harmony, and the welfare of the Tibetan people.

“All human beings are the same. We all want happiness and we do not want suffering. Even people who do not believe in religion recognize the importance of these human values in making their lives happier,” the Dalai Lama says on his website. “It is therefore important for all religious traditions to respect one another and recognize the value of each other’s respective traditions.”

Ticket Information:

A morning session entitled “Business, Ethics and Compassion: A Public Dialogue” will take place at SCU’s Leavey Event Center Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the public Jan. 28 at 9 a.m. and will be available at scu.edu/dalailama for $80 and $130. A number of complimentary tickets are allotted for the SCU, Stanford, and Tibetan communities. The event is expected to sell out, but livestreaming will be available at scu.edu/dalailama.